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Capsule Wardrobes and Semi-voluntary Simplicity

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, and in the process of beginning to pack for a year in a city that has all four seasons in spades, I’ve come to the realization that a capsule wardrobe makes the most sense (as much as I hate it).

Question: if one transitions to a capsule/minimalist wardrobe and doesn’t blog about it, did they actually transition?

Answer: No.

So here we are.

For those of you who are like my husband, who responded to this idea with, “Wtf is a ‘capsule wardrobe’?” Wikipedia defines it as, ” a term coined by Susie Faux, the owner of a London boutique called “Wardrobe” in the 1970s. According to Faux, a capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items of clothing that don’t go out of fashion, such as skirts, trousers, and coats, which can then be augmented with seasonal pieces.”

To be honest, I low-key hate this. Not the idea in general or when other people decide they want to do it; I just really don’t want to. I like clothes and having options, and it seems like most people who go the capsule-wardrobe route (1) like the idea of minimalism to begin with, (2) have their life much more thoroughly adult-y than I’m comfortable with yet, (3) dress only in black, white, grey, and pastels (Sidenote: I HATE pastels. There is a deep loathing in the seat of my soul for them. I refuse to wear that nonsense.), and (4) don’t know real winter. (#northernwintersnob)

Unfortunately for me, I’ve been convicted over the past few months that I am not doing great with the spiritual discipline of simplicity. And because there’s a part of me that is actually the worst, I’ve been more or less ignoring this conviction. It’s something that is much easier to ignore when the conviction happens midway through the school year and simplifying feels like the process would take way too much time away from homework.

But then God led us to the bright idea of moving across the country. For only a year. With only 2 checked bags for each of us with everything we need. With anything we’re taking to Tennessee with us in 2017 all packed up and ready to go as well. With our belongings more or less strewn between both childhood homes and the RV we’re living in this month.

Obviously, this requires a list.

And confining what I’m bringing to a very, very specific list is already a discipline of simplicity, and I haven’t even started weighing yet.

It’s going to be a year full of self-discipline and growing pains. Starting now, apparently.